Bullying Prevention Month has people talking and taking action across the country. Here are a couple of our favorite anti-bullying initiatives taking place this week:
BULLY: Coming to 50 cities October 12!
BULLY will be coming to 50 cities on Friday, Oct. 12 in honor of Bullying Prevention Month.
The documentary has been seen by more than 200,000 kids and has ignited an important discussion about bullying in schools.
To see if the movie is playing in your city, check out their blog [1]
Facing History and Ourselves: “Upstander Contest” is on now!
One of our partner organizations, Facing History and Ourselves is sponsoring a contest to recognize outstanding upstanders. Anyone can nominate someone they truly believe is initiating positive change in their community. One winner will be selected and will receive a $5,000 grant to further their work and education. Nominations can be submitted until Oct. 22, 2012 and the winner will be announced on Nov. 20, 2012. For more details about the contest, follow this link. [2]
Upstander Spotlight: Whitney Kropp
Michigan teen Whitney Kropp was thrilled to be nominated to her high school homecoming court—until she found out it was a cruel joke. Instead of crumbling under the taunts of her peers, Whitney proudly accepted her homecoming court nomination and her story inspired the nation. After hearing about her bullying experience, her town rallied behind her and flowers from supporters came from as far as Beijing, China. She quickly became a positive role model for other victims of bullying to stand up. Watch the video here. [3]
Upstander Spotlight: Balpreet Kaur
Balpreet Kaur, a follower of the Sikh faith and victim of cyberbullying, is an inspirational symbol of tolerance and understanding. A photo of her was taken and posted on a website without her permission, beginning a cruel discussion about her gender and presence of facial hair. Rather than lashing out, Ms. Kaur took the opportunity to explain that cutting hair is against the Sikh religion. She explained that her identity does not rely on her physical beauty, but within herself and her faith. The individual who posted the photo apologized and credited Ms. Kaur for her for her strong cultural values and sense of self. Read the article here. [4]